The Influence of an Eight-Week Home Exercise Program on Spatiotemporal and Kinetic Characteristics of Gait and Knee Function in Women with Severe Knee Osteoarthritis Scheduled for Arthroplasty

<i>Background and Objectives:</i> The increased prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and need for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) indicate a growing need for effective prehabilitation. The effect of preoperative home exercise programs (HEPs) on gait in patients with severe knee OA is und...

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Main Authors: Monika Mets, Jelena Sokk, Jaan Ereline, Mati Pääsuke, Tiit Haviko, Helena Gapeyeva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Medicina
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/5/774
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author Monika Mets
Jelena Sokk
Jaan Ereline
Mati Pääsuke
Tiit Haviko
Helena Gapeyeva
author_facet Monika Mets
Jelena Sokk
Jaan Ereline
Mati Pääsuke
Tiit Haviko
Helena Gapeyeva
author_sort Monika Mets
collection DOAJ
description <i>Background and Objectives:</i> The increased prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and need for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) indicate a growing need for effective prehabilitation. The effect of preoperative home exercise programs (HEPs) on gait in patients with severe knee OA is under-investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of an 8-week preoperative HEP on gait characteristics, leg extensor muscle strength, knee function, and health status in women with severe knee OA scheduled for TKA and to compare them with healthy control data. <i>Material and Methods:</i> Eighteen women with severe knee OA (KOA, aged 61.8 ± 1.6 years) and ten age-matched healthy women (CON) participated in this study. The KOA group performed an HEP with 15 exercises aimed at improving lower limb muscle strength, motion, balance, and coordination. Gait spatiotemporal and kinetic characteristics during the loading response, isometric leg extensor strength, knee active range of motion (AROM), and The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) were investigated. Associations between characteristics were analyzed. <i>Results:</i> Improvements in ground reaction force (GRF) during the loading response of gait, leg extensor muscle strength, the knee AROM, and the WOMAC index were found post-HEP. The KOA group demonstrated lower (<i>p</i> < 0.05) spatiotemporal and GRF characteristics than the CON group. Knee extension moment (KEM) was lower pre-HEP (<i>p</i> < 0.05) but did not differ significantly from the CON group post-HEP. Gait characteristics and WOMAC were associated with leg extensor muscle strength and knee AROM and pain in the KOA group. <i>Conclusions</i>: An eight-week preoperative HEP improved GRF and KEM during the loading response of gait, muscle strength, knee function, and self-reported knee OA-related health status in women with severe knee OA. Preoperative HEP before TKA, focusing on leg extensor muscle strength, range of motion, and pain relief, is an effective alternative to supervised exercise therapy in women with severe knee OA.
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spelling doaj-art-654b6c7bd142431484c19ef4b647b4e52025-08-20T02:33:54ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X1648-91442025-04-0161577410.3390/medicina61050774The Influence of an Eight-Week Home Exercise Program on Spatiotemporal and Kinetic Characteristics of Gait and Knee Function in Women with Severe Knee Osteoarthritis Scheduled for ArthroplastyMonika Mets0Jelena Sokk1Jaan Ereline2Mati Pääsuke3Tiit Haviko4Helena Gapeyeva5Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, University of Tartu, Ujula 4, 51008 Tartu, EstoniaInstitute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, University of Tartu, Ujula 4, 51008 Tartu, EstoniaInstitute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, University of Tartu, Ujula 4, 51008 Tartu, EstoniaInstitute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, University of Tartu, Ujula 4, 51008 Tartu, EstoniaDepartment of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, L. Puusepa 8, 51014 Tartu, EstoniaInstitute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, University of Tartu, Ujula 4, 51008 Tartu, Estonia<i>Background and Objectives:</i> The increased prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and need for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) indicate a growing need for effective prehabilitation. The effect of preoperative home exercise programs (HEPs) on gait in patients with severe knee OA is under-investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of an 8-week preoperative HEP on gait characteristics, leg extensor muscle strength, knee function, and health status in women with severe knee OA scheduled for TKA and to compare them with healthy control data. <i>Material and Methods:</i> Eighteen women with severe knee OA (KOA, aged 61.8 ± 1.6 years) and ten age-matched healthy women (CON) participated in this study. The KOA group performed an HEP with 15 exercises aimed at improving lower limb muscle strength, motion, balance, and coordination. Gait spatiotemporal and kinetic characteristics during the loading response, isometric leg extensor strength, knee active range of motion (AROM), and The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) were investigated. Associations between characteristics were analyzed. <i>Results:</i> Improvements in ground reaction force (GRF) during the loading response of gait, leg extensor muscle strength, the knee AROM, and the WOMAC index were found post-HEP. The KOA group demonstrated lower (<i>p</i> < 0.05) spatiotemporal and GRF characteristics than the CON group. Knee extension moment (KEM) was lower pre-HEP (<i>p</i> < 0.05) but did not differ significantly from the CON group post-HEP. Gait characteristics and WOMAC were associated with leg extensor muscle strength and knee AROM and pain in the KOA group. <i>Conclusions</i>: An eight-week preoperative HEP improved GRF and KEM during the loading response of gait, muscle strength, knee function, and self-reported knee OA-related health status in women with severe knee OA. Preoperative HEP before TKA, focusing on leg extensor muscle strength, range of motion, and pain relief, is an effective alternative to supervised exercise therapy in women with severe knee OA.https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/5/774gaithome exercise programknee osteoarthritispreoperative rehabilitationextension momenthealth status
spellingShingle Monika Mets
Jelena Sokk
Jaan Ereline
Mati Pääsuke
Tiit Haviko
Helena Gapeyeva
The Influence of an Eight-Week Home Exercise Program on Spatiotemporal and Kinetic Characteristics of Gait and Knee Function in Women with Severe Knee Osteoarthritis Scheduled for Arthroplasty
Medicina
gait
home exercise program
knee osteoarthritis
preoperative rehabilitation
extension moment
health status
title The Influence of an Eight-Week Home Exercise Program on Spatiotemporal and Kinetic Characteristics of Gait and Knee Function in Women with Severe Knee Osteoarthritis Scheduled for Arthroplasty
title_full The Influence of an Eight-Week Home Exercise Program on Spatiotemporal and Kinetic Characteristics of Gait and Knee Function in Women with Severe Knee Osteoarthritis Scheduled for Arthroplasty
title_fullStr The Influence of an Eight-Week Home Exercise Program on Spatiotemporal and Kinetic Characteristics of Gait and Knee Function in Women with Severe Knee Osteoarthritis Scheduled for Arthroplasty
title_full_unstemmed The Influence of an Eight-Week Home Exercise Program on Spatiotemporal and Kinetic Characteristics of Gait and Knee Function in Women with Severe Knee Osteoarthritis Scheduled for Arthroplasty
title_short The Influence of an Eight-Week Home Exercise Program on Spatiotemporal and Kinetic Characteristics of Gait and Knee Function in Women with Severe Knee Osteoarthritis Scheduled for Arthroplasty
title_sort influence of an eight week home exercise program on spatiotemporal and kinetic characteristics of gait and knee function in women with severe knee osteoarthritis scheduled for arthroplasty
topic gait
home exercise program
knee osteoarthritis
preoperative rehabilitation
extension moment
health status
url https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/5/774
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